Consciousness: Dark Wave
by ladymoonscar
Summary: part 4 of the series. Follows THOR2. When an enemy thought long dead emerges Marina Berg must return to Asgard; the one place she hates. She must confront her powers and the memories of the goddess Laga. But dark thoughts are abundant in the universe and Marina fears that she could lose herself amongst them. And how do you kill that which was already dead?


**A/N: I present to you**

**DARK WAVE**

* * *

_Long before the birth of light, there was darkness. And from that darkness came the Dark Elves. Millennia ago, the most ruthless of their kind, Malekith, sought to transform our universe back into one of the eternal night. Such evil was possible through the power of the Aether, an ancient force of infinite destruction. The noble armies of Asgard, led by King Bor, waged a mighty war against these creatures. As the Nine World converged above him Malekith could at last unleash the Aether._

_But Asgard, with the help of a young goddess born of water, ripped the weapon from his grasp. Without it, the Dark Elves fell into ruin and their king named Accursed. Malekith was vanquished and the Aether was no more._

_Or so we were led to believe_.

* * *

"Ten bucks says she wipes out."

"I'm sorry, have you forgotten she controls water?"

"No. But c'mon! No one is that good!"

"Ten bucks says you're wrong."

It was a beautiful sunny day in Malibu, California. Steven Rogers, aka Captain America, and Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, sat on the private sandy beach and watched the youngest addition of the Avengers swim out to meet the perfect waves on a light blue surfboard.

Steve smiled as he watched her stand up on her board and ride the wave perfectly. And then cheered and clapped as she rose up onto the top of the large wave.

"Cheater," Tony muttered, handing over a ten dollar bill to Steve. "But she is getting good at controlling her powers."

Steve nodded even as a small frown touched his lips. "Yeah. I just wish the nightmares would stop."

Tony frowned, too. "She still hasn't shaken those? It's been a year since she got back from Asgard."

"I know, and they did stop. For a while." Steve sighed. "She's been trying to hide it from me, but I can tell when she's upset."

Tony rolled his eyes. "Don't get all mushy with me, cap. You know what I would do?"

"I really don't care…"

"I would take her someplace far away," Tony said anyway. "Someplace she hasn't been before and do all that lovebird tourism thing. She hasn't been to Paris, has she?"

"Why?"

"I'm just saying I have a little villa there and you guys are welcome to use it. As long as you pay for anything you break. Like the bed, for example."

"Stark!"

"Oh, like you two don't do it."

"Shut up! She's coming."

"With no help from you, I'll bet."

Marina Berg jogged up to them, looking fantastic in a white bikini with a turquoise wave print. Her sandy colored hair was pulled back into a beach-girl ponytail and rippled over her left shoulder. The surfboard she carried melted back into water and splashed behind her.

Steve stood up and greeted her with a smile and a kiss. "You were fantastic, as always."

Marina smiled at him. "Thank you."

Tony scoffed. "He says that every night, huh? After you surf him?"

The water dripping off Marina lifted off her and flew into Tony's face. "Shut up, Stark." Marina slipped her hand into Steve's. "Come swim with me."

* * *

The clanking of chains filled his ears. Really, it was overkill; all these restraints just for him? Alright, it was a bit flattering. They considered him a real threat. That was good. They saw him now. They saw what he really was this time; unredeemable.

Loki, the God if Mischief and Lies, was led to Odin the Allfather's throne yet again a prisoner. Only this time there was no opulence, no crowd. Just Odin and Frigga and Algrim. Personally, Loki didn't think much of Algrim; he was a Dark Elf, one who had betrayed his former master and pledged himself to the service of a mortal.

A mortal that had turned her back on Loki.

Just when he needed her most.

_I wonder how she is_, he couldn't help thinking. _Is she happy with her soldier? Has she left him? Does she still hate me?_

"Loki." Frigga's soft voice called him back to the present.

He smiled condescendingly at her. "Hello, mother. Have I made you proud?"

"Please, don't make this worse," she pleaded.

"Define worse."

"Enough!" Odin snapped. "I will speak to the prisoner alone."

Frigga left unhappily with Algrim just behind her. As he turned to leave, the Dark Elf gave Loki a pitying look that looked too much like the mortal's. Loki tried to ignore this by looking up defiantly at the Allfather. And then laughed. "I really don't see what all the fuss is about."

Odin stared hard at him. "Do you truly not feel the gravity of your crimes? Wherever you go there is war, ruin and death."

"I went down to Midgard to rule the people of Earth as a benevolent God," Loki said. "Just like you."

"We are not gods," Odin replied. "We are born, we live, we die. Just as humans do." He leaned forward and added, "Just as she did."

Loki stiffened. "Don't you dare talk about her."

"All this because Loki desires the throne?"

"It is my birthright."

"Your birthright was to die as a child!" Odin bellowed. "Cast out onto a frozen rock."

"You know that's not what happened," Loki seethed. "You took me from my father before he could ever set his eyes upon me! Laga…Laga knew I would have the love I needed there. But you threw that back in her face and forced her to lie!"

"The lie was of her own making," Odin replied. "Hers and Laufey. They knew the consequences of their love. And if I had not taken you in, you would not be here now to hate me."

"If I am for the ax then, for mercy's sake, just swing it," Loki said.

"Frigga is the only reason you are alive," Odin said. "That and I will not kill Laga's only child. She sacrificed much for you, Loki. I will not let those sacrifices be in vain. You will spend the rest of your days in the dungeons."

Loki blinked. "And what of Thor? You will make that witless oaf king while I rot in chains."

"Thor must strive to undo the damage you have done," Odin replied. "He will bring balance to the Nine Realms and then, yes, he will be king."

Loki didn't fight as the guards escorted him to the dungeons.

* * *

**A/N: good? bad?**

**reviews are love! I will be adding the AGENTS OF SHEILD tie-in episode at the end, so expect that**

**and a cute scene between Marina and Steve is later on**


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